RP: Luna visits the joke shop.

[bth_lunal]

Title: Shopping
Date: August 30, 1998
Time of Day: 2.30pm
Characters: Luna Lovegood and George Weasley
Location: Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
Status: Public

Brief Summary: Luna decides to visit the joke shop, partly because she wants to shop and partly because she wants to see how George is doing.
Completion: Complete
Warnings: None

Comments

[bth_georgew]

Though Luna moved solely about the colourful shop, she wasn't alone for long. With Ron off to pack for school and having given Verity strict instructions to march herself straight up stairs and nap before she fell asleep over her cauldron, George was left to tend the shop, back and front, alone. He didn't mind. Rare moments like this, when the shop was actually quite gave him time to reflect, a break from his feelings, and a moment to plan. Things would be moving forward quite quickly and George knew the time would come far before he was ready for it

[bth_lunal]

"Hello," said Luna brightly, currently holding up a bottle of love potion to her eye, peering through it like a telescope and watching the pattern of colour that it produced.

"Daddy sent me to buy some things for him before I go back to Hogwarts," she said, pulling the now tattered list from her pocket. "I should probably be packing."

She put down the love potion, and the list, and wandered over to the counter.

"How are you?" she asked, as she studied the display of edible dark marks with interest. "You're probably going to say you're fine even if you're not, I know, but I don't mind. It's normal to be sad."

[bth_georgew]

Pouring over the list, George responded as a formality. "Well... I am fine," he lied obviously, "And yourself?"

From beneath the counter, George grabbed his wand, summoning a hand basket from the front of the store while he completed reading. Motioning for Luna to follow him, he began filling her basket from different displays. "I saw the Quibbler had a new post. Nice to see it back." Ah, sweet avoidance.

[bth_lunal]

"When my Mum died," said Luna, watching the basket zoom across the room, "I was sad for a very long time. I still am, really."

She seemed to think this was a perfectly normal thing to say in a conversation. Luna was never very good at appropriate social behavior.

"I'm glad you liked it. I did most of the editing myself, but Daddy is going to start soon. I think he just needed someone to prompt him into action. It's been very popular, even without the Crumple-horned Snorkacks."

[bth_georgew]

"Who would have thought?" Hand selecting several boxes of Whiz Bangs, George added them to the basket with more attention than necessary. Luna had always been a bit odd; likable, but odd. George didn't bother to overcome her thought provoking way of conversation. It was entertaining, if nothing else.

"Do you think your dad will continue the paper once Hogwarts starts back up? You're same year as Ginny, correct?"

[bth_lunal]

"I hope so,"`she said, "He misses writing. I think he wants to go back to Sweden at Christmas to find some new information on the snorkacks. He said he wants to do a special issue on them."

"Yes, I am," she continued happily, "I'm very excited about going back. Neville and a few other people will be there to, finishing their NEWTS."

[bth_georgew]

"Same with Ron," George contributed to the conversation, "Tonight's his last night here at the shop till after his tests. Then it's back to the shop. You know, I have such a hard time understanding why anyone would want to go back just to take a test."

[bth_lunal]

"He spent that year running round fighting You-Know-Who," said Luna, "A test probably seems like a break after all that. I'm sure you could too if you wanted, though you're probably too busy with the shop."

She picked up a day-dream charm, studying the packet. "What sort of dreams can you do?" she asked.

[bth_georgew]

Luna's prompting was not the first time that George had thought of returning to Hogwarts to complete his schooling. Shortly after Dumbledore's reinstatement, Fred and George had discussed the possibilities and came to the conclusion that though circumstances were influential, they had effectively dropped out. There would be no second chance for rambunctious, trouble making truants like the Weasley Twins. Even if there was, George would never return now, not without Fred.

"Anything you want really. We've yet to manufacture theme-specific charms, but if you concentrate really hard on a certain person or subject matter, the charm will take care of the rest for you."

[bth_lunal]

"That's very interesting," Luna replied, wondering the sort of things she'd choose to day-dream about. Since she often seemed to be in a permanent day-dream, it was a harder decision for her than for most.

"Do you miss Hogwarts?" she asked, as she placed one of the charms into the hovering basket after some careful consideration.

[bth_georgew]

"No," George said without consideration as he added several more products to her basket. The response tasted sour in his mouth, however, and he paused in front of a cage of pink, female Pygmy Puffs, petting them through the bars as he reconsidered

[bth_lunal]

"Divorce," said Luna, giggling delightedly, "Like you were married. That's funny!"

The younger girl carried on laughing for almost a full minute. She always did have an...odd grasp of humour and comedy.

Wiping her eyes, but still beaming, she turned back to George. "You could come and visit?" she suggested.